AFSOC flight crew inspect the armament of the first AC-130J Ghostrider gunship to arrive at Hurlburt Field in Florida. The air force expects to field 32 such aircraft once deliveries are complete. Source: US Air Force

A US Air Force C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft descends to land at Turkey's Incirlik Air Base on 29 July. The US has had a presence at the base for years, but until the recent agreement was only allowed to use it for surveillance missions against the Islamic State. Source: PA Photos

While the ASPI report accepts that Australia is increasing its amphibious capability through moves such as the commissioning of ships like HMAS Canberra, it said critical gaps remain in the planning and personnel needed to fully exploit the ships' potential. Source: PA

Four Russian MiG-31 interceptors are shadowed by UK Typhoon fighters over the Baltic on 24 July. NATO has been dealing with record number of Russian military flights in the region over recent days. Source: Crown Copyright

Four Russian MiG-31 interceptors are shadowed by UK Typhoon fighters over the Baltic on 24 July. NATO has been dealing with record number of Russian military flights in the region over recent days. Source: Crown Copyright

Airbus reported its earnings for the first half of its fiscal year 2015 on 31 July, with revenue increasing 6% and net income up 34% compared with the first half of 2014.
Revenue for the half was EUR28.9 billion (USD31.7 billion), up from EUR27.2 billion for the same half in 2014. Income, however,

The US Congress is preparing for its annual 'summer break', with the House convening on 30 July and the Senate planning to work one more week, leaving only September to finalise fiscal year 2016 (FY 2016) budget bills and other significant legislation that must be passed in the coming months.

Ukraine's Antonov will be the centre of the aviation industry's consolidation, the leading force of the country's aviation industry cluster, Ukroboronprom, said on 28 July. The decision was made at an earlier meeting of the national aviation industry heads, held in Kiev on 23 July.
Antonov's

EVENT
President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria named retired Brigadier-General Paul Boroh on 28 July as his new special adviser on Niger Delta affairs and co-ordinator of the amnesty programme.
Boroh succeeds Kingsley Kuku, who resigned when then-incumbent Goodluck Jonathan was defeated by Buhari in

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) took its sole heavy landing ship out of service during a decommissioning ceremony on 31 July.
In service for nearly 35 years, HMAS Tobruk supported missions in Somalia, East Timor, and the Solomon Islands and conducted "extensive work both in Australia and

India's state-owned Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has launched the 17th Aadesh-class fast patrol vessel on order for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), the company announced on 30 July.
The 50 m vessel was laid on 11 June and has been named ICGS Arush . CSL was awarded an INR15 billion (USD234 million)

FEATURED REPORT

Australia's Air Warfare Destroyer programme has been blighted by schedule slippage, cost escalation, and dysfunctional management. Julian Kerr finds out how and why plans have gone awry, and looks at the efforts to put Project SEA 4000 back on an even keel

Morale is often directly tied to a soldier's physical well-being, and so keeping troops well fed and hydrated are of paramount importance to military planners. Kelvin Wong examines the military food and catering technologies that support troops in the field.

The domestic terrorism threat in South Africa is currently low, but appears set to rise as a result of increasing radicalisation within the Muslim community. Robert Besseling examines the extent of the threat and the authorities' ability to respond effectively.

The US Air Force's Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has received the first of 37 Lockheed Martin AC-130J Ghostrider gunships, it was announced on 30 July.
The aircraft arrived at Hurlburt Field in Florida the day prior to the announcement, ahead of initial developmental test and evaluation

The last eight of 34 Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) Gepard 1A2 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (SPAAGs) are scheduled to depart from Germany in the first week of August and arrive in Rio de Janeiro 20 days later, a source told IHS Jane's on 27 July.
The Gepards were procured from Germany by the

Key Points
DARPA has awarded Boeing USD6.6 million to continue work on the XS-1 Experimental Spaceplane
The agency plans to hold a Phase II competition among the three teams working on the project next year for the follow-on production order
The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects

The United States will have to spend USD348 billion on nuclear weapons modernisation over the next 10 years if it wants to maintain a triad of nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarines, and bomber aircraft, according to a 22 January report from the Congressional Budget

Key Points
President Benigno Aquino has signalled the Philippines' intention to acquire three former Australian LCHs
The procurement will bolster the Philippine Navy's sealift and disaster relief capabilities
The Philippine government has begun preparations to acquire three more decommissioned

The Turkish government has formally approved an 'understanding' that allows the US-led coalition against Islamic State to use the country's air bases, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on 29 July.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgiç told reporters that the United States could now use

Iranian diplomats have told media that a draft nuclear agreement has been reached with the P5+1 countries in Vienna on 14 July.
The agreement will gradually allow investment in Iran's economy, Saudi Arabia and Turkey will likely attempt to maximise their gains in Iraq and Syria in the short term,

Key Points
The Taliban's confirmation of Mullah Omar's death ends years of speculation about the fate of the group's long-standing leader, but appears to be forced by an unprecedented government claim a day earlier.
The timing of the announcement as peace talks gain marginal momentum is

Northrop Grumman has awarded Australian firm Ferra Engineering a contract to produce components for the US corporation's MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance high altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), it was announced on 30 July.
The contract, the value of which was not disclosed,